System and method for visual confirmation of planter performance

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for automatically capturing visual data of a seed placed by a seed planting machine (e.g., a crop row planter). An electronic controller is configured to receive a signal indicative of a seed being dispensed by the seed planting machine and to trigger a camera to capture an image of the dispensed seed in response to a determination, based on the signal, that the seed has been dispensed by the seed planting machine. In some implementations, the system includes a seed sensor configured to detect a seed moving through a seed tube that dispensed seeds from the seed planting machine. In other implementations, the system is configured to detect a new seed being dispensed by the seed planting machine by analyzing image data captured by a camera.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to systems and methods for operatingmachines for planting seeds—for example, a crop row planter configuredto plant seeds in a row along a field surface. More specifically, thepresent invention relates to system and methods for monitoring andevaluating the performance of machines that plant seeds

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, the invention provides a system for automaticallycapturing visual data of a seed placed by a seed planting machine (e.g.,a crop row planter). An electronic controller is configured to receive asignal indicative of a seed being dispensed by the seed planting machineand to trigger a camera to capture an image of the dispensed seed inresponse to a determination, based on the signal, that the seed has beendispensed by the seed planting machine. In some implementations, thesystem includes a seed sensor configured to detect a seed moving througha seed tube that dispensed seeds from the seed planting machine. Inother implementations, the system is configured to detect a new seedbeing dispensed by the seed planting machine by analyzing image datacaptured by a camera.

In some implementations where the system is configured to detect a newseed by analyzing captured image data, the system is configured tocapture a sequence of images and to analyze each image to determinewhether a new seed is present in the image. When the controllerdetermines that a new seed is present in an image of the sequence ofimages, it triggers the camera to capture an image of the dispensedseed. In some such implementations, the image captured by the camera inresponse to the trigger is of a higher resolution than the images of thesequence of images. Similarly, in some implementations, a flash lightsource is configured to illuminate the field of view of the camera inresponse to detecting an image in the sequence of images that includes anew seed. Accordingly, the field of view is illuminated by the flashlight source when a camera image is captured in response to the trigger,but the field of view is not illuminated by the flash light source whilethe camera captures the other sequence of images.

Other aspects of the invention will become apparent by consideration ofthe detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a row crop planter according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example of a row seeder with anopening disc for use in the row crop planter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of another example of a row seeder with anopening disc and a closing wheel for use in the row crop planter of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a control system for visual confirmation ofseeds planted by the row crop planter of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method of capturing visual information ofseed planting triggered by a seed sensor using the system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a method of capturing visual information ofseed planting triggered by a camera using the system of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a method of presenting visual information ofseed planting to an operator using a fixed measurement scale.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a method of presenting visual information ofseed planting to an operator using data extracted from captured images.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the following drawings.The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orof being carried out in various ways.

FIG. 1 illustrate an example of a row crop planter 100 that is pulled bya tractor 101 during operation. The row crop planter 100 includes aplurality of row seeders 103 arranged in parallel along a support bar105 and one or more seed storage vessels 107. Although the example ofFIG. 1 shows a single seed storage vessel 107, in other implementations,each row seeder 103 includes a separate seed storage vessel 107. As therow crop planter is pulled across a field surface, each row seeder 103opens a trench (or furrow), deposits a seed from the seed storage vessel107 into the trench, and, in some cases, closes the trench. As a result,the operation of the row crop planter 100 produces a series of generallyparallel trenches that are each seeded with multiple seeds along thelength of the trench.

FIG. 2 illustrates one example of a row seeder 201 that might be used asa row seeder 103 of the row crop planter 100 of FIG. 1. The row seeder201 includes one or more “opening discs” 203 configured to open/dig atrench as the row seeder 201 is pulled along the field surface. A seedtube 205 is positioned and configured to deposit seeds from the seedstorage vessel 107 into the trench after the trench is opened by theopening disc 203. In some implementations, the row seeder 201 isconfigured to dispense individual seeds through the seed tube 205,one-at-a time, at locations along the trench. In some implementations,the row seeder 201 is further equipped with a seed sensor (e.g.,incorporated into the seed tube 205). The seed sensor may be configuredto detect when an individual seed passes through the seed tube 205 or,in some implementations, to measure the speed/rate at which seeds movethrough the seed tube 205.

For example, the seed sensor may include a light beam emitter and alight sensor positioned in a counter-facing arrangement on either sideof the seed tube 205 so that, when no seed is present in the seed tube,a light beam emitted by the light beam emitter is received & detected bythe light sensor. When a seed passes through the seed tube, the lightbeam is obstructed and, in response to the temporary absence of a lightbeam detected by the light sensor, the seed sensor generates a signalindicating that a seed has passed through the seed tube 205. Althoughthe example of FIG. 2 includes a seed tube 205 and a seed sensorconfigured to detect a seed in the seed tube, in some otherimplementations, the seed planting machine 100 and/or the individual rowseeder 201 does not include a “seed tube” and may instead includeanother type of “trench delivery system” (e.g., a brush belt) configuredto deliver the seed from the planter into the trench. In someimplementations that do not utilize a “seed tube,” the seed sensor maybe configured to detect the presence of a seed moving through anotherpart of the seed planting machine (e.g., through the trench deliverysystem) that is about to be dispensed by the seed planting machine 100.

In the example of FIG. 2, the row seeder 201 also includes a camera 207and a “flash” light source 209. The camera 207 is positioned with afield of view including at least a portion of the trench where the seedwith be deposited and, as discussed in further detail below, isconfigured to capture visual evidence of one or more seeds deposited inthe trench and, in some cases, additional information about the trenchand/or the placement of the seeds therein. The flash light source 209 isconfigured to provide a high-intensity, short-duration burst of lightthat will illuminate the trench while an image is captured by the camera207.

FIG. 3 illustrates another example of a row seeder 301 that might beincorporated into the row crop planter 100 of FIG. 1. Like in theexample of FIG. 2, the row seeder 301 includes one or more opening discs303 and a seed tube 305 that, in some implementations, may be equippedwith a seed sensor as discussed above in reference to FIG. 2. The rowseeder 301 also includes a camera 307 and a flash light source 309configured to capture images of seeds in the trench and to illuminatethe trench, respectively. However, unlike the example of FIG. 2, the rowseeder 301 also includes a closing wheel 311 that is configured to closethe trench to cover the seeds deposited therein. Accordingly, the camera307 is positioned to capture an image of the trench after the trench hasbeen opened by the opening disc 303 and before the trench is closed (andthe seeds covered) by the closing wheel 311.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a system configured to capture visualevidence and data of seeds deposited in a trench by a row seeder (e.g.,row seeder 103 of FIG. 1, row seeder 201 of FIG. 2, or row seeder 301 ofFIG. 3). A controller 401 includes an electronic processor 403 and anon-transitory, computer-readable memory 405. The memory 405 iscommunicatively coupled to the processor 403 and is configured to storedata and instructions that, when executed by the processor 403, causethe controller 401 to perform functionality such as described herein.The controller 401 is also communicatively coupled to a seed sensor 407,a camera 409, a flash light source 411, and a graphical display screen413. As discussed above, the seed sensor 407 provides a signal to thecontroller 401 indicating when a seed passes through a seed tube. Insome implementations, the seed sensor 407 is directly coupled to thecontroller 401 while, in other implementations, one or more seed sensors407 might be coupled to another intermediate controller (not pictured)that receives data from the seed sensor 407 and communicates to thecontroller 401. The controller 401 is configured to control theoperation of the camera 409 and to receive image data captured by thecamera 409. The controller 401 is also configured to transmit a signalto the flash light source 411 that controllably triggers thehigh-intensity, short-duration burst of light emitted by the flash lightsource 411. Finally, the controller 401 is configured to transmit imagedata that is shown on the graphical display screen 413.

In some implementations, the controller 401 is configured to cause thecamera 409 to capture one or more images of seeds deposited in thetrench by a row seeder. Images captured by the camera 409 in this waymay be stored to memory as evidence confirming that seeds have beendeposited in the trench. The stored image data can then be analyzedlater in order to evaluate the manner and quality of seeding provided bythe row crop planter 100. This information can, in turn, be used toevaluate and adjust settings of the row crop planter 100 and to evaluatethe performance of the operator of the row crop planter 100.Additionally, in some implementations, image data captured by the camera409 can be processed and/or displayed to the operator in real-time (ornear-real-time, or “on-demand”) to monitor and evaluate the plantingprocess while planting is underway. This information might be used bythe operator, for example, to make adjustments to improve the plantingoperation or to detect system failures before completing the plantingprocess. Furthermore, in some implementations, the controller 401 isconfigured to automatically adjust one or more operating settings of therow crop planter (e.g., a cutting depth of the “opening disc,” a speedat which seeds are ejected through the seed tube, or the speed over thetractor pulling the row crop planter 100) in response to an analysis ofthe images captured by the camera 409.

FIG. 5 is an example of a method in which the controller 401 facilitatesthe capturing of images by the camera 409. The controller 401 monitorsthe output of the seed sensor 407 (step 501). When the signal from theseed sensor 407 indicates that a seed has moved through the seed tube(step 503), the controller 401 waits for a defined delay period (step505) to allow the seed time to move from the seed tube to the trench.The defined delay period may be calculated or determined based onvarious criteria relating to the system configuration including, forexample, the speed of the planter 100, the height of the seed sensor407, and the speed of the trench delivery system (i.e., the speed atwhich the seed is dispensed from the planter into the trench). After theconclusion of the delay period, the controller 401 sends a signal to theflash light source 411 triggering activation of the flash (step 507) andreceives one or more images from the camera 409 captured while the flashilluminates the trench area (step 509). The controller 401 then waitsuntil the seed sensor 407 again indicates that another seed is beingdispensed before repeating the image capture and flash trigger processof FIG. 5.

In some implementations, the camera 409 is provided and operated as a“still” image camera configured to capture individual still images. Inother implementations, the camera 409 may be provided and/or operated asa video camera and configured to capture a sequence of image frames inresponse to the trigger from the controller 401. Furthermore, althoughthe example of FIG. 5 describes a “defined delay period” betweendetecting the seed and activating the flash, in some implementations,the delay period can be configurable or adjustable. For example, thecontroller 401 might be configured to adjust the delay periodautomatically by analyzing the captured images in order to ensure thatthe seed has reached an intended positions (e.g., at the bottom or thetrench) and that the seed is still in the field of view of the camerawhen the image is captured. In other implementations, the delay periodmight be automatically adjusted by the controller 401 based on sensed ormonitored system variables including, for example, a depth of the trench(indicated, for example, by a position of the opening disc of the rowseeder or an analysis of the captured image(s)), a speed of the planter100 (indicated, for example, by a vehicle speedometer), and a speed ofthe trench delivery system.

Finally, although activation of the flash and the capture of theimage(s) is triggered by the output of a seed sensor in the example ofFIG. 5, in other implementations, the controller 401 may be configuredto trigger the flash 411 and the camera 409 in response to anotherdevice or occurrence. For example, another type of sensor might be usedto detect the dispensing and/or placement of a seed. In the example ofFIG. 6, the operation of the flash and the camera is triggered based onprocessing of other images captured by the camera 409.

In the example of FIG. 6, the camera 409 is configured to continuouslyor periodically capture images of the trench (step 601). The images areprocessed by the controller 401 to detect the appearance of a seed inthe trench (step 603). For example, the controller 401 might beconfigured to apply an edge detection image processing mechanism todetermine a shape of an object in the captured image data and to thenapply a shape-matching algorithm to determine whether a detected objectis a seed. In other implementations, the controller 401 may beconfigured to apply a movement detection algorithm to detect an objectentering the field of view of the camera at a speed different from themovement of the trench in the background of the image. Once the presenceof a seed is detected in the captured, low-resolution image data, thecontroller 401 activates the flash (step 607) and operates the camera409 to capture one or more images of the seed in the trench (step 609)while the trench is illuminated by the flash.

In some implementations, the controller 401 and the camera 409 areconfigured to capture images of the trench at a relatively lowresolution until a seed is detected and the flash is activated and willthen operate to capture images with a higher resolution while the trenchis illuminated by the flash. Also, although the system of FIG. 4 and themethod of FIG. 5 describe using the same camera 409 to capture imagesbefore and after the seed is detected, in some implementations, thesystem is configured to include two different cameras positioned with afield of view that includes the opened trench. The first camera may beconfigured to capture images at a relatively low resolution or tocapture image data in a way better suited to tracking themovement/presence of a seed. For example, the first camera might beconfigured as a motion capture or thermal imaging system (if the seedare dispensed at a different temperature than the surrounding ground).In such system, a second camera may be provide and configured to captureimages at a higher-resolution while the trench is illuminated by theflash. In some implementations, the controller 401 is configured tomonitor the image data from the first camera until a seed is detectedand to then activate the flash and capture an image using the secondcamera in response to detecting the presence of a seed in the trench.

Furthermore, in the example of FIG. 5, the controller 401 is configuredto wait for a defined delay period before activating the flash andcapturing the images (step 505). This is to allow enough time for theseed to leave the seed tube and reach an appropriate position in thetrench. However, in the example of FIG. 6 where the seed is detected inthe trench (and not in the seed tube), the seed may already be in anappropriate position for imaging when the seed is detected in the imagedata. Accordingly, a delay period may not be necessary or appropriate insome implementations using methods similar to the example of FIG. 6.

In the example of FIG. 5, the system is configured to detect that a seedis being dispensed based on a signal from a seed sensor. In the exampleof FIG. 6, the system is configured to detect that a seed has beendispensed by identifying the seed in a captured camera image. In stillother implementations, the system may be configured to determine when tocapture an image of the trench based on the controlled actuation ortiming of the seed planting machine itself. For example, a system mayinclude a controllable seed dispensing actuator that is configured toeject an individual seed in response to an actuation signal (e.g., an“eject” signal) received from the electronic controller. In some suchimplementations, the speed at which the seed is ejected can also beregulated by actuation signals from the controller. In otherimplementations, the system may be configured to automatically ejectindividual seeds according to a defined “timing” schedule.

In these and other implementations, the electronic controller may beconfigured to determine when a seed will be dispensed into the trenchbased on the actuation signals and/or the timing schedule for thecontrollable seed dispensing actuator. Accordingly, instead of receivinga signal from an external system indicative of a detected presence ofthe seed (e.g., an output from a seed sensor or an image of the trenchcaptured by the camera), the system may be configured to trigger thecamera to capture an image based on the actuation signal and/or timingschedule for the controllable seed dispensing actuator. For example, theelectronic controller may be configured to generate an actuation signalinstructing the controllable seed dispensing actuator to eject a seed,to then wait for a defined delay period to allow enough time for theejected seed to reach the trench, and to then trigger the camera tocapture an image after expiration of the delay period.

As mentioned above, once images of the seeds are captured, they can bestored to the memory 405 for later review/analysis or to establish arecord of evidence of the amount and locations of seeds planted in aparticular field. However, in some implementations, the system may beconfigured to display image data to an operator of the system during theplanting process. FIG. 7 illustrates one example of a method fordisplaying this image data to an operator. As images are captured by thecamera (step 701), they are displayed on an operator display screen(step 703). In the example of FIG. 7, these images can be displayed asraw, unedited images or (alternatively or additionally) additional datamay be displayed on the screen to assist the operator in performing theplanting operation. For example, because the position of the camera isfixed relative to the row crop planter, the system might be configuredto superimpose a scale on the displayed image to assist the operator indetermining variables that may affect the planting process including,for example, an estimated depth and/or width of the trench. Similarly,if the camera 409 is positioned at an angle relative to the trench suchthat multiple seeds are visible at the same time in the field of view ofthe camera 409, a scale may be superimposed on the output imagedisplayed to the operator indicating a distance/spacing between adjacentseeds. In some implementations, the controller 401 might also beconfigured to display a sequence of captured images (either to theoperator during seeding or to a user after seeding is completed) as a“flip book” to demonstrate variation in the placement (e.g., depth) ofseeds planted in a particular row or variations in seed placementbetween different rows in a field.

In addition or instead of displaying image data with superimposedstationary “scales,” in some implementations, the system may beconfigured to analyze captured image data to make a more specificdetermination of particular planting variables. For example, asillustrated in the example of FIG. 8, the system may be configured tocapture images of the seed in the trench (step 801) and to then processthe captured image data to calculate a depth of the trench (step 803),for example, based on a relative size of the seed in the image data whenthe seed is positioned at the bottom of the trench. The system may alsobe configured to process the captured image data to determine adistance/spacing between seeds (step 807). This might be done, forexample, by comparing time-stamps associated with each captured image inreference to a measured speed of the row crop planter and/or a speed ofthe tractor pulling the row crop planter. In some implementations, thecontroller 401 might be configured to determine a speed of movementbased on captured image data. This information can then be displayed innumerical and/or graphical form on the images that are shown on thedisplay (step 807).

As discussed above, captured image data can be analyzed to determine afinal position and/or variation of seed placement in the trench.However, the captured image data might also be used to determine othercharacteristics of seed behavior to better understand the cause ofvariations in seed placement. For example, the captured image data maybe analyzed by the controller to determine whether the seed is impactinga sidewall of the trench as it is dispensed instead of directlyimpacting the bottom of the trench. Based on this analysis, the systemdetermines whether an adjustment to the seed dispensing mechanism (e.g.,the position of the seed tube) may be necessary to ensure that seeds aredispensed directly to the bottom of the trench. In some implementations,the captured image data is also analyzed to determine whether dispensedseeds move (e.g., “tumble”) along the trench after they are dispensedinstead of coming to rest at a location of initial impact in the trench.By detecting “tumbling” seeds, the system may be configured to determinewhether an adjustment to the speed of the planter (e.g, the speed atwhich the tractor pulling the planter is moving) and/or the speed atwhich seeds are ejected from the planter are necessary to ensureappropriate and consistent seed placement. In some implementations, thesystem may be configured to capture a series of images each time anindividual seed is dispensed so that movement of the dispensed seed canbe monitored and analyzed by the system. Also, in some implementations,the system may be configured to automatically make adjustments to theoperation, configuration, or position of the planter based on theanalysis of the captured image data.

The examples described above in reference to FIGS. 2-8 focus primarilyon an individual row seeder. However, as illustrated in the example ofFIG. 1, a row crop planter 100 will include many different row seederunits positioned and operating in parallel trenches. Accordingly, insome implementations, each row seeder unit is configured to include itsown camera 409 and its own flash light source 411. In otherimplementations, the row crop planter may be configured to include oneor more cameras that are each configured and positioned with a field ofview that extends across multiple different trenches. Similarly, in someimplementations, each row seeder unit may be configured to include itsown controller 401 while, in other implementations, a single controller401 is configured to communicate and control multiple seed sensor, flashlight sources, and/or cameras for multiple different row seeder units.

Furthermore, because some implementations are configured to captureimages of individual seeds deposited in each of a plurality of differenttrenches. The system may be configured with various different mechanismsfor displaying the captured seed image data to an operator of thesystem. For example, in some implementations, the system is configuredto display images of seeds deposited by each row seeder unit in sequenceas a “flip-book” or an “animation” to show variations in seeding. Forexample, a system that includes 20 row seeder units may be configured todisplay images in order from the first row seeder unit to the last andto then repeat the display process.

Alternatively or additionally, in some implementations, the system maybe configured to detect when a seed placement (e.g., the trench depth,seed spacing, etc.) for a particular trench/row seeder unit does notmeet certain prescribed criteria or exceeds a variation threshold ascompared to seeds in other trenches. In such implementations, the systemmight be configured to automatically display images of seedscorresponding to that identified trench/row seeder unit that does notmeet the prescribed criteria and may require adjustment.

As yet another display feature in addition to or instead of the displaymechanisms described above, the system may be configured to provide auser interface in which the operator can select one or more specific rowseeder units to monitor on the display. This may include, for example,displaying all of the camera images at the same time (e.g., in a gridlayout), receiving a selection from the operator (e.g., via atouchscreen interface) of one or more particular images and subsequentlydisplaying camera images corresponding to the images that were selectedby the operator.

Finally, as discussed above, in some implementations, the system may beconfigured to adjust or regulate the operation of the row crop planterbased on captured image data. For example, a row seeder unit, in someimplementations, may be equipped with an actuator designed tocontrollably raise and lower the opening disc and, thereby, control thedepth of the trench. The controller may be configured to determine anaverage seed depth in a particular trench based on the captured imagedata and, in response, operate the actuator to achieve/approach a targetseed depth. In various implementations, the controller may be configuredto adjust other actuators in addition to or instead of an opening discheight actuator in response to an analysis of the captured image data ofdeposited seeds. Such actuators may include, but are not limited to,opening disc angle actuators configured to adjust a width of a trenchand a seed dispensing actuator configured to control the speed and/orfrequency at which seeds are ejected through the seed tube.

Thus, the invention provides, among other things, systems and methodsfor automatically capturing visual data indicative of seeds deposited bya planting system and for providing information regarding plantingquality based on the captured image data. Various features andadvantages of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for automatically capturing visual dataof a seed placed by a seed planting machine, the system comprising: anelectronic controller configured to receive a sequence of images eachincluding a portion of a field surface; analyze the sequence of imagesto detect when a seed is dispensed by the seed planting machine; andtrigger a camera to capture a seed image of the dispensed seed inresponse to detecting, based on the analysis of the sequence of images,that the seed has been dispensed by the seed planting machine, whereinthe camera is coupled to the seed planting machine, and wherein the seedimage of the dispensed seed is a higher resolution image than the imagesof the sequence of images.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the seedplanting machine is a crop row planter including a plurality of rowseeder units, wherein each row seeder unit of the plurality of rowseeder units includes at least one trench opening disc configured toopen a trench in a field surface as the crop row planter moves along thefield surface, and at least one trench closing wheel configured to closethe trench opened by the at least one trench opening disc, wherein therow seeder unit is configured to dispense an individual seed in thetrench after the trench is opened by the at least one trench openingdisc and before the trench is closed by the at least one trench closingwheel, wherein the camera is coupled to the crop row planter andpositioned with a field of view including a portion of the trenchbetween the at least one trench opening disc and the at least one trenchclosing wheel.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the electroniccontroller is configured to wait for a defined delay period afterdetecting, based on the analysis of the sequence of images, that theseed has been dispensed by the seed planting machine before triggeringthe camera to capture the seed image of the dispensed seed, wherein thedefined delay period is defined to allow the seed enough time to exitthe seed planting machine and land on the field surface in the field ofview of the camera, wherein the camera is coupled to seed plantingmachine with a field of view that is fixed relative to the seed plantingmachine.
 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a flash lightsource configured to illuminate a field of view of the camera, whereinthe electronic controller is further configured to activate the flashlight source in response to detecting, based on the analysis of thesequence of images, that the seed has been dispensed by the seedplanting machine, and wherein the electronic controller is configured totrigger the camera to capture the seed image of the dispensed seed bytriggering the camera to capture the image while the field of view isilluminated by the flash light source.
 5. The system of claim 1, whereinthe seed planting machine is a crop row planter configured to dispenseseeds in a row as the crop row planter moves across a field surface,wherein the camera is coupled to the crop row planter and position witha field of view that is fixed relative to the crop row planter, andwherein the electronic controller is further configured to output theimage of the dispensed seed to a display screen, wherein the image ofthe dispensed seed that is output to the display screen is overlaid witha scale indicating a depth of a trench in which the seed has beenplaced.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic processor isconfigured to analyze one or more images of the dispensed seed todetermine at least one planting variable selected from a groupconsisting of a depth of a trench in which the seed is placed, a widthof the trench, and a spacing distance between adjacent seeds placed inthe trench by the crop row planter.
 7. The system of claim 1, whereinthe electronic processor is configured to store the seed image of thedispensed seed to a non-transitory computer readable memory asdocumentation of a planting process.
 8. The system of claim 1, whereinthe electronic controller is further configured to: trigger the camerato capture a series of seed images of the same dispensed seed inresponse to detecting, based on the analysis of the sequence of imagesthat the seed has been dispensed by the seed planting machine, whereinthe series of seed images are each higher resolution images than theimages of the sequence of images, and output the series of seed imagesto a display screen for sequential display to demonstrate movement ofthe same dispensed seed in the trench.
 9. The system of claim 1, whereinthe electronic controller is further configured to output a series ofseed images to a display screen for sequential display, wherein theseries of seed images includes a seed image of each of a plurality ofdifferent individual seeds dispensed by the seed planting machine, andwherein sequentially displaying the series of seed images on the displayscreen demonstrates variations in seed placement.
 10. The system ofclaim 1, further comprising: the camera coupled to the seed plantingmachine and positioned with a first camera field of view including aportion of the field surface; and a second camera coupled to the seedplanting machine and positioned with a second camera field of view thatat least partially overlaps with the first camera field of view, whereinthe electronic controller is configured to receive the sequence ofimages by receiving the sequence of images captured by the secondcamera.
 11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic controller isconfigured to receive the sequence of images by receiving the sequenceof images captured by the camera, and wherein the electronic controlleris configured to trigger the camera to capture the seed image bytriggering the camera to capture a higher resolution image.
 12. A systemfor automatically capturing visual data of a seed placed by a seedplanting machine, the system comprising: a camera coupled to the seedplanting machine and positioned with a field of view that includes aportion of a field surface; and an electronic controller configured toreceive a signal indicative of a seed being dispensed by the seedplanting machine, wherein the electronic controller is configured toreceive the signal indicative of the seed being dispensed by the seedplanting machine by receiving a sequence of images captured by thecamera, and analyzing each image in the sequence of images to determinewhether a seed is present in the image; and trigger the camera tocapture an image of the dispensed seed in response to a determination,based on the signal, that the seed has been dispensed by the seedplanting machine, wherein the electronic controller is configured totrigger the camera to capture the image of the dispensed seed inresponse to the determination by triggering the camera to capture theimage of the seed in response to detecting an image in the sequence ofimages where the seed is present in the image.
 13. The system of claim12, wherein the image of the dispensed seed captured by the camera inresponse to the trigger is of a higher resolution than the images of thesequence of images.
 14. The system of claim 12, further comprising aflash light source configured to illuminate the field of view of thecamera, wherein the electronic controller is further configured toactivate the flash light source in response to detecting an image in thesequence of images where the seed is present in the image, and whereinthe electronic controller is configured to trigger the camera to capturethe image of the dispensed seed while the field of view is illuminatedby the flash light source.
 15. A system for automatically capturingvisual data of a seed placed by a seed planting machine, the systemcomprising: a camera coupled to the seed planting machine and positionedwith a first camera field of view that includes a portion of a fieldsurface; a second camera coupled to the seed planting machine andpositioned with a second camera field of view that at least partiallyoverlaps with the first camera field of view; and an electroniccontroller configured to receive a signal indicative of a seed beingdispensed by the seed planting machine, wherein the electroniccontroller is configured to receive the signal indicative of the seedbeing dispensed by the seed planting machine by receiving a sequence ofimages captured by the second camera, and analyzing each image in thesequence of images to determine whether a seed is present in the image,and trigger the camera to capture an image of the dispensed seed inresponse to a determination, based on the signal, that the seed has beendispensed by the seed planting machine, wherein the electroniccontroller is configured to trigger the camera to capture the image ofthe dispensed seed by triggering the camera to capture the image of theseed in response to detecting an image in the sequence of imagescaptured by the second camera where the seed is present in the image.